Starting mechanism for hydrocarbon-engines.



J. STAUB.

BATENTED JUNE 4 1907.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR HYDROOARBON ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 28.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

JACOB STAUB, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM ROBBINS, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR l- IYDROCARBQN -E NGINES- I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed August 23,1905. Serial No. 276,147.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB STAUB,a citizen of the United States, residing at Hinsdale, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, have invented certain new, and useful Improvements in Starting Mechanisms for Hydrocarbon-Engines, of which the following is a and simi ar self-propelled vehicles.

well known that a source of danger to the opspecification.

This invention relates to starting devices for hydrocarbon eng1nes,be1ng especially useful as a safety starting crank for such engines when em loyed as motors for automobiles j mentioned, several safety starting cranks which s iall insure the certain separation of have been heretofore proposed designed to disengage the'starting crank from the engine shaft under a turning movement of the latter in either direction; and the object of the present invention is to provide an improved and sim lified mechanism of this latter class the starting crank from the engine shaft under such a slight extent of backward movement of the latter. as shallprevent danger of injury to the operator. i I

To this end my invention consists in a new and improved, safety starting mechanism substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention, in an approved mechanical form, is illustrated intheaccompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 1s a side elevational view ofthe.

mechanism; and Fig. 2 -is a cross-sectidnal' view in the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with certain parts omitted for sake ofclea rness.

Referring to the drawing, 5 may designate one end ortion of the engine shaft shown as m'ountec in a suitable journal 6 formed in a portion of a su porting frame 7. To the end of the engine s aft is securcd'a clutch member in the form of a collar 8, on the outer face of which is an annular series of clutchteeth 9. Rotatably mounted in a journal blocklO secured to and depending from another frame member 11 is the starting shaft 12, said shaft being disposed in endwise alinement withthe engine shaft 5, and being capable of endwise bodily movement.

On the nner end of the starting shaft 12 is secured a clutch member in the form of a collar 13 having an annular series of clutch teeth 14 co-operatingwith clutch teeth 9 of the clutch 8. Loosely mounted" on the starting shaft 12 is a shaftseparating member in the form of a collar 15 that is provided on its outer face with an annular series of clutch teeth 16 having inclined cam surfaces 17. Said collar also has formed thereon an annular ratchet 18 (Fig. 2) the teethof which cooperate with aspriugpressed detent 19 that is pivoted by a ivot; pin 20 to theframe member 1.1; said etent preventing the rotation of theclutch 15 in a direction corresponding to the backward movement of the engine shaft, but permitting its" rotation in the opposite direction represented by the arrow in lfig. 1., indicating the forward direction of rotation of the en. gine shaft. Secured to the starting shaft 12 1s a co-operatingv shaft-separating clutch member comprising a collar 21 having on its inner face a series of clutch teeth 22 which are formed with inclined or cam surfaces 23 that co-operate withlthe. inclined or cam surfaces 17 of the teeth 16. A coilsgring 24 interposed between the, clutch mom .mounted the usual starting crank 25.

ers 15 and 21 normally tends to disengage them, as also I Normally the clutch members 8 and13 and 15 and 21 lie separated by the spring 24. When the engine 1s to be started up, the operator seizes. the handle 25 and-imparts an inward thrust upon the starting shaft in opposition to the spring'24, therebycarrying the clutch members 8 and 13, and/15 and 24 into engagement, as shown in Fig. 1, whereupon, upon turning the" cifiank in the direction necessary to start the engine, the shaft of the latter is started in rotation.v Upon releasing the hold upon the crank 25 .the

spring 24 instantly disengages the clutch members, or such disengagement may be of fected earlier by the engine shaft running in advance of the starting shaft and forcing thelatter outwardly through the action of the caminclineson the teeth of the clutch members 8 and 13. If, however, the engine shaft should start up in the backward or reverse direction, the starting shaft 12 will be given a slight backward rotation simultaneously with an outward bodily movement, owing to theengagement of the inclined sides 23 of the shaft-separating collar 2]. with and upon the to similar inclined sides 17 of the shaft-separating-flcollar 15, which latter is held against back-ward. movement by the detent 19. in. thismanner andby this means a complete separation and disengagement of the main I5 clutch meinbers 8 and 13 may be eifccted, -upona' fractional backward rotation of the engmeshaft corresponding to the width of the clutch teeth.

Variations and modifications in respect to details may be made by those skilled in the s art Without departing from the principle 0 the invention as hereinabove disclosed, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. l-clairnz l- Ina starting mechanism for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with a clutch member fast on the'engine shaft, of a rotatably mounted endavise movable starting shaft carrying a co-oporating clutch member, and a pair of shaft-separating members mounted on said'starting shaft and provid edv with co-op eratingcam surfaces whereby they are separated-by a relative turning movement between them, one of said shaft-separating members being secured against both rotary and sliding movement on said starting shaft and the other beingrotatablymounted on said startiiu, shaft and. provided with means pre venting'its rotation in one direction, snbstanj 40 tially as described.

2. Ina starting mechanism for i1 \f(lIOGEtli r l ssasos bon engines, the combination with a clutch :xnember fast on one end of the engine shaft, of a rotatably mounted endwise movable starting sh aft disposed in longitudinal aline ment with said engine shaft and carrying a cc-operating clutch member, a pair of shaftseparating collars mounted. on said starting shaft and provided with co-operating' cam surfaces whereby they are separated by a relative turning movement between them,' one of said colla being secured against both' rotary and sliding movement on the starting shaft and the other being rntatably mounted on said startingshaft and prb ided with means preventing its rotation in one direction, and a spring normally tending to disengage said collars, substantially as described.

3. in a starting mechanism for hydrocarbon. engines, the C'JllflblllftlllOD With aclutch member fast on one end of the engine shaft, of a rotatably mounted endvvise movable starting shaft disposed in longitudinal nlinement with said engine shaftand carrying a. co-opernting clutch member, a shaft-separating clutch member loosely mounted on said starting shaft, an annular ratchet carried by said shaft-separating clutch member, a detent co-oper-atlng with said annular ratchet to permit rotation of saidshaft-separating clutch member in the forward. direction of ro tati on of the engine shaft, but preventing its turning, movement in the opposite direction, another shaft-separating clutch member fast on said, starting shaft, and a spring normally 75 tending to disengage said shaft-separating clutch members, substantially as described JACOB STAUB. i tnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, l nnnnnrcn Goonwnv. 

